Yuji Naka

Be it hedgehogs, firefighters or dancing penguins, Yuji Naka’s games frequently feature soundtracks just as memorable as the games themselves. The same holds true for his Prope studio’s latest release, Rodea The Sky Soldier. Released on November 10th for Wii U and 3DS, Rodea features a soundtrack from Takayuki Nakamura and his Brainstorm sound studio.

We met Yuji Naka a few days ago and asked him about his thoughts on game music, but his main purpose at E3 was to promote his upcoming game, Ivy the Kiwi?, which is due out this summer from XSEED. While we got our first hands-on with the game at E3, we also learned who is responsible for the game’s music and whether or not there will be a soundtrack release in the future.

With the game set to release on the Wii and DS in just a matter of months, it’s time to find out what Sonic creator Yuji Naka has in store for us this time around. Hit the jump for our impressions. (more…)

We’re of course huge fans of Yuji Naka. His work on Sonic the Hedgehog is legendary, and even his last project, Let’s Tap, had an amazing soundtrack and very unique gameplay mechanics. For this reason, we’re greatly looking forward to his next title, Ivy the Kiwi?, which is due out on Wii and the DS this year. While our coverage of Ivy the Kiwi? will be coming in the next couple days, we did want to share what Yuji Naka had to say when we asked him about the music in his games.

Oh, and we also find out what his favorite soundtrack is from the game’s he’s worked on. Join us for our brief chat after the jump! (more…)

I’ll be honest. Aside from knowing that Yuji Naka, Basiscape, and SuperSweep were involved with Let’s Tap, I barely knew anything about the game. Based on some videos I watched prior to its release, I thought it was mostly focused on running and jumping through a variety of mini-games using tap controls, but it turns out that this description only applies to the “Tap Runner” portion of Let’s Tap. There are actually a number of different games and modes to check out, with “Rhythm Tap” being my favorite.

So what is “Rhythm Tap,” you ask? It’s exactly what it sounds like, and that’s a rhythm game that utilizes tapping as the sole input mechanism. I know it sounds much too simple, but it’s actually really engaging and a whole lot of fun. Plus, with an amazing soundtrack provided by Basiscape and SuperSweep (you can win yourself a copy in our contest here), there’s no reason not to give the game a chance for the $30 asking price.

Read our impressions of “Rhythm Tap” and the other mini-games inlcuded in Let’s Tap after the jump. (more…)

While the game is already out in Japan, it hits store shelves in the US tomorrow, and we’ve got the highly contagious soundtrack sitting here just for you. You may remember that Carl was very impressed with the blend of quirky electronic music and moving beats provided by members of Basiscape, SuperSweep and others, and now it’s your chance to add this disc to your collection.

So, it’s down to the same question once again: what do you have to do to win? Simple! Since Let’s Tap emphasizes simple gameplay and a retro visual style reminiscent of classic games, we’ve decided to go retro on you. Answer me these questions three, and we’ll pick a winner at random from the correct entries:

1. What was the first project Yuji Naka worked on at SEGA?
2. What system was this game created for?
3. What was Naka’s official role on the original Sonic the Hedgehog?

They may look difficult, but they’re really not. Trust me (try Google)! Send your entries to contest@originalsoundversion.com by June 30 at 11:59PM PST. Good luck!

Are you looking forward to the game’s release tomorrow? Were you surprised to see such a diverse team of composers working on the music?

Covering and promoting discussion of composers and music with a focus on video games and other contemporary media entertainment

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